Marine Biotechnology in the Twenty-First Century Problems, Promise, and Products (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Session 4: Public Policy, Partnerships, and Outreach
Session 4: Public Policy, Partnerships, and Outreach
Pages 87-100
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From page 87... ...
Coral Reef Task Force, 20001. Natural products obtained from coral reef organisms in the expanding battle against human diseases and pathogenic infections are less well recognized but equally important.
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From page 88... ...
Increased harvest pressure is being placed on reef resources to supply subsistence fisheries as well as a growing international demand for reef species for food, traditional medicines, and ornaments. Unfortunately, few countries have sufficient knowledge, financial resources, or technical expertise to develop management plans for the sustainable harvest of reef species, and organisms are often extracted unsustainably for short-term economic gains.
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From page 89... ...
Through the development of partnerships among government agencies, commercial pharmaceutical companies, academia, and local communities, research in identification and screening of bioactive compounds can expand, with concurrent efforts directed toward sustainable management approaches. Benefit sharing with source countries can create economic incentives for reef conservation, provided that mechanisms are in place to direct revenues from bioprospecting toward the development of national and regional conservation programs (Verhoosel, 19981.
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From page 90... ...
Benefit sharing with source countries is a critical step that can provide the financial incentive for field research and monitoring, development of appropriate management strategies that promote sustainable use, and expanded mariculture efforts. Coral reef resources with important biomedical applications have the critical character of being renewable, at least when they are properly managed.
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From page 91... ...
The actors in today's natural product partnerships include universities, for-profit companies, governmental agencies, conservation organizations, foundations, communities, and advocacy groups. Many partnerships among diverse organizations founder, because each entity applies its own business, cultural, or legal rules to the behavior of an entirely different type of organization.
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From page 92... ...
Host country governmental agencies may want to document species names, collection sites, and other information to enhance management of natural resources or to track collection and research efforts to protect the interests of their countries. Furthermore, academic scientists clearly need to publish their research to advance science and their own career productivity.
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From page 93... ...
Many of these countries are still negotiating the relationship of national sovereign rights to permit or participate in agreements on genetic resources with their own provincial governments or indigenous peoples' organizations and with super national bodies, such as the Andean Pact. Major issues that affect the success of partnerships in addition to scientific and technical capability include an organization's stability, its administrative competence, and leadership for the project as a whole.
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From page 94... ...
The transition from initial laboratory-based proof-ofconcept development to early-stage commercial development is so exceedingly difficult that it is known colloquially among technology developers as "The Gap" or "The Valley of Death." In pharmaceutical development, "The Gap" is perhaps more appropriately called "The Abyss," since the vast majority of promising research-stage therapeutic agents fail to enter clinical testing. Of those investigational new drugs that enter clinical testing, only a small proportion reach the marketplace.
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From page 95... ...
When marine bioproducts are discovered at universities and nonprofit research institutes, commercialization is dependent on successful transfer of the nascent technology from its nonprofit laboratory birthplace to the industrial development pipeline. University-industry technology transfer was first envisioned in its modern embodiment by Internet prophet Vannevar Bush in 1945.
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From page 96... ...
This situation brings into focus the monetary value of marine biodiversity, providing a hard-nosed economic rationale to supplement moral, ethical, and aesthetic arguments in support of marine conservation. As the United States moves to strengthen its support for marine bioproduct commercialization, an opportunity exists to earmark a portion of future financial windfalls for support of marine conservation and sustainable coastal development, thus preserving as-yet-undiscovered marine bioproducts for the benefit of future generations.
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From page 97... ...
During 2000 and 2001, work to create a marine biotechnological research, development, and training program was initiated in the Florida legislature, and a statewide directory of research and education faculty was published. From a single research project in 1996, Florida Sea Grant has substan
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From page 98... ...
Two marine scientists now serve on the board of directors of the industry trade organization. A statewide directory of faculty and research scientists interested in marine biotechnology research, development, and training capabilities to advance science and commerce has been completed and is available in print and on the Florida Sea Grant website.
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From page 99... ...
Statewide leadership by Florida Sea Grant since 1996 has resulted in a number of positive benefits. It has established a coherent source of funds for research and graduate students and initiated outreach to inform public audiences about marine biotechnology.
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